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Article in Japanese

Survey of Recognition and Actions of Nursing Students Regarding Uniform Care and Examination of the Degree of Bacterial Contamination of Uniforms

Kanna OKAYAMA1)2), Naoko UEMURA2), Yuri KANASHIMA2), Ayako OGI2)3) and Mitsue ARAKAWA4)
1)Osaka City University Graduate School of Nursing, 2)Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Okayama Prefectural University, 3)School of Nursing & Health, Aichi Prefectural University, 4)School of Nursing, Tottori College of Nursing


The objectives of this study were to elucidate changes in the recognition and actions of nursing students regarding uniform care and to examine the degree of bacterial contamination of their uniforms by the number of days worn. In total, 199 nursing students participated in a questionnaire survey on uniform management. Bacterial specimens were collected from the uniforms of 19 nursing students using sterile cotton swabs both after the uniforms were worn and after they were laundered. The samples were subjected to aerobic culturing at 37°C for 48 h. The number of bacteria was counted, and the strains were identified. The antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus spp. was also evaluated. The number of uniform wearing days was the longest among the students of the higher grade. Most nursing students in the lower grade considered 1 day as the ideal number of one uniform-wearing day. The number of bacteria on the uniforms increased after they were worn in both the groups, i.e., among those who wore it for 1 day and those who wore it for ≥2 days. After laundering, the number of bacteria decreased in both the groups, but a larger number of bacteria survived on the uniform of those who wore it for ≥2 days. The commonly detected bacteria on the uniforms belonged to Staphylococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., and Moraxella spp. in both the groups. After laundering, Micrococcus spp. and S. hominis were detected more often on the uniform of those who wore it for ≥2 days. Among the 31 strains of Staphylococcus spp. observed, one strain of S. aureus was identified as methicillin-sensitive S. aureus. Among other CNS, the rate of antibiotic resistance was as follows: 100% for S. cohnii and 50% each for S. caprae, S. epidermidis, and S. haemolyticus. These findings suggest that it is necessary to reconsider uniform care and to longitudinally examine the rate of antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus spp.

Key words:uniform care, bacterial contamination, antibiotics susceptibility, nursing students

e-mail: okayama.kanna@nurs.osaka-cu.ac.jp

Received: April 24, 2018
Accepted: August 18, 2018

33 (6):276─284,2018

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